The Legacy of Joe Rohde: Guardian of Animal Kingdom
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ก.ย. 2024
- As far as theming goes, Disney's Animal Kingdom is generally considered to be Disney's best park in the United States. It's not that the other parks are lacking in theming, but in the era of Bob Iger and Bob Chapek compromising the overall thematic integrity of the parks for a quick buck, Animal Kingdom has remained largely unchanged, other than the addition of Pandora: The World of Avatar. We're definitely seeing IP creep in here and there, but I think we should try to understand what makes Animal Kingdom so great and why its lead designer, Joe Rohde is so important in preserving the thematic integrity of the park. Joe Rohde reaches the height of some of Disney's greatest Imagineers, and with the announcement of his retirement on November 23, 2020, I think it's time we took a look at his legacy within the company and how it relates to the amazing park, that is Disney's Animal Kingdom.
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I think it speaks volumes that less than 2 years after Rohde's retirement, Disney has gone ahead and started drawing up concepts for a Zootopia area, something he was explicitly against due to thematic incoherence.
Joe Rhode is the main reason why Animal Kingdom went from failed opening in 1998 to one of the most impressive theme parks in the world. Think about this, Avatar has lost its cultural relevance, yet Rhode and his team knocked it out of the park with the atmosphere and Flight of Passage, a ride I was not originally excited about due to being another motion simulator.
I think part of Animal Kingdom's opening issues were related to a fundamental misunderstanding of what the park was and what it was trying to achieve. I believe that it has now achieved a good balance between attractions and animal exhibits, but could still benefit from a few more D and even C tickets.
And to top it off have it fit nicely to the overall theme to the park.
Oh agreed, I was blown away when I walked into pandora. The immersion was incredible!
Watching him passionately talk about theme and storytelling and art taught me so much about the theme park industry and storytelling. He talks about all kinds of neat stuff from the theme of a land to a type of fossil he found on his Instagram.
I agree. I view the parks as a combination of different fields of art and he's so great at illuminating that.
Yup. I feel like he's a throwback to some of the original haunted house guys..I mean at one point it was a museum of the weird rt?😅
Or like building a statue based on kinetic sculptures one of ur artists makes on his desks with pens 📎 and straws!❤
Also animal kingdom is a great date night if you actually like the person cuz it's chill
“Animal Kingdom should be expanding on its attractions not trying to make a quick dollar on half baked rethemes.”
(Cries in Epcot)
*Cries in DCA*
and Hollywood Studios
and Hong Kong Disney
and Disneyland Paris
What do you get when you diminish Imagineering? Nothing.
Joe has done so much good. I'm going to miss him guiding the parks
I agree. It also makes me concerned for the future of Animal Kingdom. I heard some rumors a while ago that Disney leadership sees the animals as an unnecessary cost...
@@PoseidonEntertainment Disneys current leadership needs to be flushed and a whole new regime needs to take over. They're destroying Walts dream.
@@PoseidonEntertainment that would be deeply concerning. the animals are a major part of the park and theme lol.
So what would the name be without the animals? Just Kingdom? Doesn't sound appealing to me...
Epcot and Hollywood Studios have already lost their original themes to IPs, and now I'm worried it's only a matter of time before Animal Kingdom goes the same way. It's such a beautiful and immersive park, and this video only solidifies my feelings (plus it also made me appreciate Pandora- I used to think it was a lame IP addition that would've been better off just being Beastly Kingdom)
It's taking me quite a while, but I'm working on a video focusing on just Pandora. I think that while the intention behind it was definitely an IP cash-in from Iger, it instead really works because of Joe Rohde.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Can't wait to watch it!
The design of The Oasis is quite genius. The way you are gently enveloped by the jungle and how it deploys a concept by Frank Lloyd Wright called, “squeeze and release.” Right towards the end of your walk, your view is obscured by rocks and you feel a bit uncomfortable or squeezed until you’ve been released out into a grand reveal of The Tree of Life. A dramatic and powerful design device used perfectly. Outdoors!
Rhode was one of the best people to happen to the company in its history. We will gravely miss him. Lighthouse Point is now, err, screwed. It will now look much like any other private cruise port. It’ll just be sprinkled with IP and up charge ops Instead of unnecessary details that lend hand to the entire story of the place. Hooray!
I love how unique the Oasis is in park design. It's always an under-rated part of the park experience. It seems to now rarely contain any animals though.
I have always loved Animal Kingdom but the month before lockdown was the first time I was ever able to truly explore it. To summarize, my family essentially abandoned me in order to ride Flight of Passage early but jokes on them cause I got to skip the line and ride it twice without them :p. I separated from them to explore the park myself and WOW is it beautiful and packed full of interesting details that you just WON'T see if you are only looking at wait times to ride Everest. My favorite moment was sitting with the birds, getting hit in the face by their wings as they flew past, and simply drawing them. I loved being able to fully explore the park without feeling rushed because no one else wanted to read all the signage or get a rubbing of this really cool rock like I did.
I think this is exactly how Animal Kingdom should be experienced. It's a relaxing and far more nuanced experience than just running from ride to ride. Not that it's attractions aren't great, but people are definitely missing out if they're not taking in the atmosphere, animals and even the food. I think Epcot runs off of a reputation of having the best restaurants in the parks, but I feel that Animal Kingdom offers the superior options. One of the things that helped me really get immersed into the park was the Wilderness Explorer scavenger hunt. I know it's meant for kids, but by encouraging you to interact with the cast members who will share educational information about the animals, I felt that it grew an even deeper appreciation for what the park was offering. Not just sitting and observing the birds, but also searching for them and learning their names was an enriching educational experience by itself.
It’s hard to imagine how the parks will change without Joe Rohde, he is an amazing person and we need 10 more like him to carry on his philosophy and thinking.
I have to say that Joe Rhode inspired me to study engineering. I was obsessed with the Undiscovered Disney documentary tv special as a kid, and would watch it over and over. The part that stood out the most to me, was the one about expedition everest where he was so passionate about every aspect of the ride, the theming, and the area. Since then, it’s been a dream of mine to become an imagineer and be a part of those processes and designs.
Not quite there yet, but i’m already in engineering school so i’m one step closer than when i was a kid obsessed with disney theme parks and that documentary.
I’m so glad I found your channel!
Thanks, I'm glad that you enjoy it!
Animal Kingdom has always been my favorite of Disney World's parks. I always liked seeing the animals, and the few rides it does have are really enjoyable. The shows are also great. I never really noticed the immersion emphasis though, I guess that just goes to show how realistic it is, I didn't even think about having been transported to another part of the world, I just was.
Taking the time to explore the different elements of the lands is a fun endeavor in and of itself I believe. I appreciate how the lands tell a story through the use of deductive reasoning to convey what has happened and what is going to happen.
Impressive content.
I feel like I may have stumbled onto a future 100,000+ subscriber channel at 75.
Thanks, I appreciate the support! I hope to become a part of the larger theme park video essay community eventually.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Your so much better then most I've watched
It’s looking like this comment aged well
@@AK-jt9gx yeah, for sure, u am honestly so glad I stumbled into this channel, the videos are so well put together, that it makes me want to watch them all day.
Coming here a year later and enjoying the information in all the videos
Animal Kingdom is by far my favorite of all the parks in WDW primarily due to its stunning aesthetic beauty and the way it immerses you so fully and so organically from the moment you scan your Magic Band till the time you leave. What I love so much about Animal Kingdom is that, aside from it being the only place in WDW where you don't feel sucked into the cult of Mickey, you don't need to be actively sitting on rides to enjoy it. Just walking around and absorbing the stunning foliage and architecture in every part is truly a pleasure. I had no idea one man was responsible for all of this. Joe Rhode truly is a modern day Frederick Law Olmsted.
Wow, I’ve been watching your videos the past couple days and I have to say; Thanks! You’ve put a voice to everything I’ve been thinking. I’d be curious to get your thoughts on Joe’s Instagram post from June which I read as a slam against Disney management. I don’t think it got the attention it deserved and clearly fell on deaf ears with current management. I’m scared to see what happens to Animal Kingdom the next few years. Joe will be missed.
As a kid it was animal kingdom and Epcot which inspired me beyond belief. Thanks Joe for the inspiration
I’m not a fan of Disney, but among the few things I will give them for, Joe Rhode’s creative vision is one of them. His attention to detail and how he really brings places to life is hard not to enjoy and be amazed by, and I appreciate his respect for the cultures in which he gains inspiration from. After having worked in field stations across the globe, studying seabirds, fish, etc., I was blown away at how immersive the queue for Flight of Passage was. The latter end really felt like a field station I worked in. From the specimen vials to the notes on the refrigerator labeling human food vs. more samples, Rhode really knows how to make a room space feel like what it’s intended to be. His creative vision will be missed.
Animal kingdom is truly a detail oriented park. There is so much there to explore that I feel like I haven’t even seen it all as a passholder. It’s a thing of beauty and wonderful to see how it’s been largely untouched over the years. You are very correct about it’s immersion, it has always drawn guests into a living breathing world that feels lived in. There’s story to just about every corner and there’s details jam packed into every space possible. One of these days I think I’ll just have to go out one day and spend hours staring at the decor of restaurantosaurus and that one gas station style gift shop just to mull over all the little things like it’s an eye spy book.
I wish Rohde could stick around longer. He’s a true visionary, and I feel like there are many things that could use his touch. For instance, if they put Epcot in his hands, I bet he could really rejuvenate the themes of innovation and cultural appreciation. Also he promised to fix that yeti :/
Did you see the Disney+ series The Imagineering Story, Episode 4: “HIT OR MISS” because it talked about the Disney era of fiscal discipline which lead to the strange decisions for Disney California Adventure (DCA). One being its existence and the growing idea that guests will accept lesser quality simply because it’s Disney. Which became the thing, where a series of head-scratching choices happened in succession (still to this day). But a hero emerged with a grand plan for a new type of theme park. Joe Rohde lead the charge for Disney’s Animal Kingdom, which has now grown into a beautiful and unique park that it is today. Joe Rohde was a driving force between the authenticity and attention to detail that are everywhere in the Animal Kingdom. Joe Rohde also explained the potential and likelihood to fail within this profession and he also stated Imagineers and Disney in general needed to try new things and sometimes miss but learn from the experience. This idea connects to Rohde’s description of the now permanent tension between art and commerce. He understands that balance is the key to making Disney successful, and budget concerns sadly must not override creativity. Joe Rhode idea of a Disney's Imagieering new “dystopian military facility” might seem over the top, but it fits with Michael Eisner and his new henchman Paul Pressler ( then president of the Disneyland Resort) new model of efficiency.
All I will say is Disney owes so much of its current success to Joe Rohde and is one of the last real Imagineers. People should pay careful attention to anything Disney builds from now forward. I doubt we will ever see the commitment Joe Rohde had to natural details that this man and many of those before him added to the parks. If he and George Lucas had been in charge of 'Star Wars': Galaxy's Edge; similar to how James Cameron, Jon Landau and Joe Rohde, served as creative director for the Pandora - The World of Avatar. 'Star Wars': Galaxy's Edge; would have been a totally different themed area; but I am afraid we can expect more bricks and concrete from now on. Because Bob Chapek has no creative vision (at least as far as Parks are concerned) and no respect of Disney Imagineers; he seems to be following the same playbook of profit-taking and coasting on Disney's reputation while charging more for less for as long as you can get away with it.
I like Animal Kingdom. It’s a shame he was “forced” out. Disney has lost its magic.
He was forced out?
Forced out?
I am a sophomore in the Entertainment Design major at Ringling College! Joe came to talk with us here a few years before I started so I wasn’t around for it, but the faculty quotes things he said on that visit constantly lol. Excited to get into this industry in a couple years and hopefully be part of making some cool stuff
i've been to animal kingdom 3 times and i feel like i've missed out on 90% of the park. we were always so focused on getting in line for the rides and treated the rest like a highly themed zoo. Wow was I wrong, there's so much highlighted in your video that i've never experienced
Thank you for this amazing video. Cant understand why you dont have more views, maybe not using the algorithm the right way because your content is Gold and should be much more apreciated.
Clearly, Animal Kindom is unique and fabulous. Just gotta fix that Yeti.
To have spent so much on the yeti and leave it there un-used for all these years is just like Disney. TERRIBLE.
Don’t count on it, they would have to rip the mountain apart to fix it.
Man I love your videos. Hope more people find your channel soon. Keep up the great work!
Thanks, I appreciate the support! I'm also hoping to diversify the content of the videos a bit later as well.
The breakdown of the video and how Joe Rohde was a crucial asset to the park is really amazing. Keep the videos coming because they're amazing!
Thanks, I appreciate your input! It'll be interesting to see the direction that park takes within the next few years.
@@PoseidonEntertainment with covid-19 still rampant, it will be interesting on what disney will do for the future of these parks and how it will affect both guests and management in the future.
I definitely want him to come back to Walt Disney Imagineering to work on some Disney theme parks in his home state of Hawaii!
Just discovered your channel today and I can already tell this is gonna he a channel is gonna go places with how great your content is
Keep up the great work! You’ve just earned another subscriber
Thank you, I appreciate the feedback
I couldn't even wear black socks with my DAKL costume at Disney. (Brown only!!) Joe Rhode is so special he got a full sized chandelier on his head with no problem 😄
The story seems to go that Eisner wanted him on camera, which is why the look was allowed to stay. Whether that's true or not?
I remember first seeing him in the Expedition Everest TV special.
@@PoseidonEntertainment after working for Disney, I now work at a Disney springs hotel, if you ever need boots on the ground or something, hmu! Your videos are spot on
@@astroguster5522 I'm not sure what you mean by that, but I appreciate the support regardless lol
17:54 THANK YOU somebody gets it dinoland should expand it's attractions not stupid rethemes just because one ride has the same layout and vehicle tech as another
How about replace Chester and Hester Dino Rama area with a new ice age ride where you go to the underground dinosaur world with buck.
@@Sableantelopeenjoyer that's a great idea dinoland is not just for dinosaurs but for other prehistoric life too
How about adding a South America land in between the empty area between Asia and rafiki’s planet watch. I would like to see an emperor new groove ride in yzma’s lair.
you always choose the absolute most fitting background music in all your videos, you do a fantastic job on creating theme park analysis's
That dinoland rollercoaster they closed was awesome and adorable. It was the only spinning coaster and it rocked❤❤
One of my best memories as a cast member was being treated to an area tour and sit down Q&A with Joe.
He is totally magnetic , probably one of the most interesting people I’ve ever encountered. Such a deep reservoir of knowledge, stories, factoids, ideas…. He left the mouse way wayyy too early 😔
Totally one of my Disney heroes though, just off the strength of the ear piercing(s), which were so contrary to Disney Look guidelines at the time 🤣 and even now. always wished to be a fly on the wall for the reactions to it from some of the more straight laced (boring) execs
Thank you! I felt like I was the only one who thought Wakanda and Zootopia were both absolutely bonkers ideas that make zero sense whatsoever!
Incorporating both into Animal Kingdom seems like a somewhat popular idea online, but it seems insane to me.
Great video. Looking forward to the other Animal Kingdom videos you referenced.
I'm conceptualizing a video on Pandora that I want to do within the next month or so. It's such a stand-out land to me, only possible through Rohde's leadership.
I love Animal Kingdom (and it's corresponding hotel counterpart - Animal Kingdom Lodge)! The stunning safari, the lush landscaping, the architecture of the buildings - it's a park to savor. I do wish they would revive the original Beastly Kingdom idea, as I thought that was one of the greatest project cancellations ever, but since it doesn't have a direct IP tied to it, I'm not holding my breath.
Nah, I definitely can't see it being built. I know it'll never happen, but I can see a mini-land being built for it under more creative leadership though. I know a lot of people love the Finding Nemo musical, but I wouldn't complain if the theater was demolished and the path pushed back for a little mythical "mini-land" that featured the Dragon Tower coaster.
When I was 6 or 7 we started going to Busch Gardens, about the time they started building WDW. They had the brewery tour and the African Veldt monorail tour, where you flew over the variously themed animal paddocks that were done up so you couldn't see the barriers between the lions and the gazelles etc.. Very ahead of its time. Iron Gwazi is where the brewery once stood. I feel old.
I met Joe when I was a teenager and he came to our town’s environmental film festival. He was premiering his personal documentary on snow leopards and I was fortunate to talk to him about animals and Disney. Will cherish that memory.
I had the chance to hear from Joe Rohde at university in 2015, when he came to guest-lecture about his time at Imagineering. I respected how he allowed his love of foreign cultures to strongly guide his designs. After hearing this lecture, when I visited Disney World for the first time, I was adamant we visit Animal Kingdom and stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, to fully appreciate everything Rohde had created.
Did you enjoy it?
Thank you for this. I can't tell you how many people told me it wasn't good or it was a half-day park when I was planning my first trip as an adult back in 2017. I couldn't have disagree with them more once I visited it--it instantly jumped to #1 for me. Then again, I enjoy zoos, even the ones with no thrill rides. :P I spent two full days exploring that park and I STILL didn't see or experience everything there was to see there. The attention to detail, the little artistic touches, the sheer natural beauty of that park soothes my soul in a way none of the other parks do. Now, if only they'd rip out that eyesore that is Dinoland and put in something appropriate to the actual theme of AK overall and continues the immersive exotic lands (how about South America, which is a very loud oversite in Disney in general?). Cheap carnival rides, crappy carnival games, and cracked black top? I think Walt would have sent them right back to the drawing board on that.
The cheap carnival is the whole point! It’s supposed to be a kitschy tourist trap on Route 66 (hence the blacktop) funding time travel research at the nearby Dino Institute.
His earlobe might snap off
We need Joe Rohde back more than anything in the whole world
Channels like you... deserve truck loads of subs. Love it 👍
Thanks, I appreciate your support!
Ah roller coaster tycoon music :D fits perfectly in the video 👍
I am so worried for AK with Joe Rhode being gone coupled with Disney's current poor leadership.
Your channel is insanely good
Thanks, I appreciate your feedback!
Really well put together video! This Joe is definitely going to miss that Joe
I’ve always loved Animal Kingdom. I always walk around taking pictures of the buildings because I love how they incorporated animals into them. It’s just a beautifully designed park, and one of Joe Rohde’s finest work.
My least favorite of his work is probably Mission Breakout because I’m such a fan of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror theme. Nothing agains Rohde as he was just given a crappy assignment and did his best with it. I just love the original, even if the Hollywood Studios Florida version is still the superior one.
Hence why Animal Kingdom is the only Disney park I've been inclined to put on my bucket list :))
If you think the Zootopia and Black Panther at Animal kingdom rumors are crazy, I've heard people say that they should bring back Beastly Kingdom because of the Pixar film, Onward. Yeah, this isn't a joke, I've suspected this was going to happen and it did. Honestly, how could a suburban fantasy film where two elf brothers go on this wild quest which involves their diseased father fit in with Animal Kingdom's message about wildlife conservation?
Also, sorry, i am 100% watching everything on your channel.
Ha ha, I appreciate your support!
Busch Gardens has always been our go to anytime we go back to Florida, but I sure do miss Animal Kingdom.
It's great. I just still feel awful about the animals who died early on (e.g., the poisoned otters, the storks or ibis who were run-over, and the rhinoceros who was allegedly abused with a stick stuck into her, with no one held accountable)-all reported in the newspapers and searchable online. Who knows what else happened. An except from one article below:
Orlando Weekly
Dead, but not by natural causes
By Carl Hiasson on Thu, Jun 11, 1998 at 12:00 am
When a hippo was spotted dead in a wading pool June 2 at Disney's Animal Kingdom, it became at least the 32nd animal to die at the new theme park. But Disney encountered problems with its new pets long before the park officially opened on April 22. In the following excerpt from "Team Rodent: How Disney Devours the World," novelist and Miami Herald columnist Carl Hiaasen describes the company's handling of the strange death of a rare black rhino as Disney set about stocking its new park.
(The rest of the article is online.)
can we talk about the amazing song Ugga Bugga by Barnes & Barnes that used to play in Restarauntasaurus
Joe should’ve been made the next CEO. Or they could’ve split the title with him and Chapek- a creative and a business man. Disney is severely lacking in the creative department and their legacy isn’t going to last if they don’t give back power to magic makers.
Joe Rohde has an very interesting legacy. The dude has more talent in a drop of his blood than most do their entire body. With that being said, I believe he was definitely hampered down by Disney corporate & I wonder if it contributed to him leaving the company. Had it been up to him, we likely would have gotten the incredible Beastly Kingdom instead of an ill-fitting Avatar world brought on by Bob Iger's jealousy at the success of the Wizarding World. On the flip side, had Beastly Kingdom been built, maybe Rohde would have never had the opportunity to make Expedition Everest? His legacy is even mixed with that ride given the Disco Yeti & the numerous other broken effects plaguing that ride.
I don't have much information, but it seems to me that Rohde was pushed out because he was perceived as being too expensive. I'm sure that some form of Beastly Kingdom would have surfaced if he was given control, but that's definitely an Eisner casualty.
Disney should create more original IPs for the theme parks!
That nightclub seriously made me feel i found my tribe. Thanks Joe ❤. U do know we have a lighthouse point city already here in s. Florida tho...right?😅
I hope Universal Florida picked up Joe Rhode.
He's now with Virgin Galactic. I imagine that he's probably done with theme parks.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Ah
Wow, he made the Adventurer's Club?! I wish I had the chance to explore that place myself, but by the time I was old enough, Pleasure Island was gone.
I never knew about Joe Rohde or about Animal Kingdom! I thought it was a zoo with a rollercoaster in it. Im so impressed
Oh no, it's definitely so much more. Definitely the best themed park in the United States.
@@PoseidonEntertainment I've never been to the united states so please forgive me hahah
@@herotrice Ahhh, well if you happen to come, I highly recommend it.
Too bad he didn't fix disco yeti before he left...
8:34 Also, how did I believe these were real until now? Lol
Indeed, though I think fixing the Yeti wouldn't be worth the cost unless they did an extensive refurb of the attraction. That's something I would like to see, adding new effects and animatronics.
Also if you're interested, the ostrich eggs on the safari are also fake.
@@PoseidonEntertainment I agree with you. I would like to see it fixed but it probably would not be worth it for them. At least bird on a stick is working :)
The eggs are fake?!?! 🤯
@@PoseidonEntertainment The termite mounds are fake too.
I'll bet he would claw his way out of retirement just to fix the Yeti haha! That thing is his furry baby.
@@PoseidonEntertainment I still hold hope that mr yeti might get fixed in a future major rehab, but my understanding is it's a structural problem that would require tear down of a portion of the moutain. I was lucky enough to see the yeti in operation during soft opening. My family rode everest over 20 times that night and seeing the yeti in full cry was by far the most impressive thing I've ever seen at any theme park. As much as I love everest as it is today, the working yeti made that attraction x10. The ultimate climax to a great ride story. So big, moving so fast (I guess that's why it broke). I understand that it doesn't make sense to shut down everest for a year to fix the yeti, it just sucks that they invested so much on this key part of the attraction and it didn't work out. AK has always been a family favorite, even in the days before everest. I like your channel. From my perspective, you are a bit overcritical in places and overthinking some stuff, but it's well articulated and you make some interesting points. Clearly, you are getting some great follows on anything negative about disney and there is plenty of material to choose from and people seem to respond to it. The reboot of test track was an abomination and pissed a lot of people off, probably worth some content.
Mate should you make your channel an Animal Kingdom park channel, it would be bloody brilliant. I could listen to you talk about this park for hundred of hours.
While I agree with most of the video, one thing I don't agree with is that Animal Kingdom was the crown jewel of theming until Wizarding World opened. I'd argue Tokyo Disney Sea took that title when it opened at it still reigns supreme. It took the idea of highly immersive theming like DAK, but added a strong attraction lineup. Animal Kingdom is a worthy second though and is far superior to anything else we have in the domestic theme parks. On a side note, I also recently discovered your channel and am loving all your content.
Joe is the MAN!
Rhode should have been offered the role of parks President and allowed to oversee everything they do alongside still be in charge of the Imagineering department. But he’s had a full life and being able to retire is something he earned.
I don't get the impression that his "retirement" was all that voluntary.
Animal Kingdom is by far my favorite wdw park. It is breathtaking. 🦍🦁🦓🦒🦛🐾🦇🐅
as if he retired he was forced out and may chapek rot in hell for doing that
Man I love Joe rhode
This reminds me of Peter finch warning about the departure of Ed ruddy in the film network: “Woe be to us”.
If they want to put more IP to animal kingdom they should add finding Nemo the beast and the magical lands. Up could be in animal kingdom if done well. Wakanda should be in epcot showing afro futurism
Maybe a show inspired by wakanda culture of "becoming Black panther" could fit in the magic kingdom tho based on some african tribes tradicional rituals with animal masks but not a land. Would love a New bugs land(even if small) on animal kingdom, a bambi and a lion king area( maybe a dark ride to the lion king with the most powerful bits of the story) but i think well themed flat rides could be pretty good like a circle of life inspired carousel and a simple thrill simba roller coaster to older kids. They could also add Anthonio from the movie Encanto themed things( maybe a area like his room) he is a chracter with a strong relantionship to animals so i think it would fit. To beastly kingdom they should have at least a dragon attraction like jurassic park/dinosaur(maybe even scary like alien encouter) and to the magical land a cute chill area with some unicorns gardens and a sweet tradicional dark ride. They would need considerable more land to add all of this. But if they take more land to build it i think these new attractions in the park could help to make it more complete and popular for keep their important mission going. Btw also against zootopia and robin hood add to animal kingdom it would be interessing if they put one or 2 clever references happening to it tho and could like to see it but mostly to educate the kids like a video showing the shock collar to represent harm humans did to animals or a robin hood character with their costume to explain a animal characteristics example robin hood to show fox are tricksters besides that they should be on magic kingdom for sure
I was at Animal Kingdom the first year it opened, it still is one of my top parks. But, I was sorely disappointed by Avatar, I would have much rather seen a land based on Amazonia, which not only would have fit the park better, and could have had identical rides.
As a big fan of zootopia and anthropomorphic characters, I invite the idea of an area themed on Zootopia, but I do not believe animal kingdom would be the appropriate location. It would both clash with t he significance of animal kingdom and not allow the concept of zootopia to reach its full potential. If I were to make a zootopia area, I’d try to make it look and feel like you are really in the city of Zootopia, possibly with the idea that you are a new recruit on the police force. Perhaps guests could choose what kind of animal they would like to pretend to be while going through the area, and dressed up employees could interact and refer to the guest based on the animal they chose to represent. Idk, I’m better at brainstorming ideas than I am on the logistics.
They either need to update/upgrade dinoland or if they are to replace it the only think I’ll accept in its place is Beastly Kingdom.
I will say that out of all those IPs, Indiana Jones is actually the one IP I could see working. But without Rhodie I will admit it will probably NOT work.
In order to get Indiana Jones to fit with the park you have to embrace the significance of the connection with ancient cultures and mythology. Present points of views on how those ancient people worked within nature and drew inspiration from animals for their myths and stories.
I agree with everything you said besides the Dinoland USA area not receiving a re-theme, the area is really lack luster and tacky and needs to be updated to something with more relevance compared to a cheapy fair
I think Joe Rhode would approve this video.
without rhode, expedition everest would have been seven dwarves mine train
What are your thoughts on him working for commercial space flight company? I keep wondering what he could bring to the table.
Let's get this right when the coronavirus took over they released a lot of people they cut a lot of their imagineers and forced Joe to retire because of their cost-cutting measures between Bob Chapek and Bob Igor these Parks will never be the same again because it's become about money not what's best for the theme parks itself or the hotels and resorts let's get this straight they have made the once-great premier hotels look like crap
I want Joe Rohde to come back to Walt Disney Imagineering to design a first major theme park for his home state of Hawaii along with Disney theme park resort in Hawaii with various resort hotels, three theme parks, a water park, and a retail, dining and entertainment district similar to Disney Springs but themed to seaside beachfront boardwalk!
Maybe a Hawaii version of Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park would fit well with a Hawaii Disneyland resort!
That will NEVER……………… happen
Hawaii's land is scarce and expensive and has a lot of land that is protected because of the wildlife and ecosysyem. So not likely to happen.
To me I would LOVE to see the Medieval idea that they had, replace it with the dino section.
God dammit they should have put him in charge of Epcots redo he would have killed it
When I think of Dinosaurs, I think of 1950s America
When I think of Disney, I think of Tacky theming. That's why Superstar Limo is the best Disney Dark Ride ever
He's actually said on social media he thought Wakanda wouldn't fit in AK, also Disney can't anyway because of the Universal deal
People still love dinosaurs (speaking personally too) so replacing Dinoland is very shortsighted and stupid
Kitetails..... That's what we get without Rhode.... kitetails....
I love how Disney opened a show that is a direct hazard to the guests. If an actual guest had gotten hit by the kite, I wonder how Disney would have attempted to compensate them.
The only problem I have with the whole Animal Kingdom not being a zoo marketing is it poisons the well, and suggests zoos (an attraction with a strong focus on education) are not good or should be seen as less than an amusement park.
You really hate Chapek! Love it. Probably why Joe retired.
18:07 Wait, wait, wait...how is it that Wakanda has nothing to do with the park, but _Pandora_ does? Wakanda offers up the premise that humans can live in equilibrium with their environment. ’s glimpse into Wakanda rejects the oft-repeated story that we humans and our environment are natural enemies. Instead, it tells a story in which humans have become technologically sophisticated while maintaining a flourishing relationship with their surrounding environment. In the capital of Birnin Zana the skyscrapers, as envisioned by director Ryan Coogler,
are high, organic structures that rise out of surrounding forests so lush they have likely never been chopped down. And many of the buildings have plants growing off terraces and rooftops. Wakanda offers the example that that sustainable technology can be modern, but it can also be traditional and culturally wise.
Wakandan residents could teach guests how their way of living can help improve people's lives. Cities that have more green space are naturally cooler, requiring less air-conditioning, lowering energy use and making it easier to reduce fossil fuel use and rely on renewable energy. They also reduce the likelihood of minor flooding because, unlike cement or concrete hardscaping, soil absorbs water instead of having it run off (though I admit that Disney has a LOT of concrete...as you pointed out, even some of the trees in this park are actually concrete). Green spaces also provide a host of psycho-social benefits, from improving mood and behavior to speeding up healing and increasing students’ ability to learn.
I just think that if Disney is going to bring IP into the parks in order to get more people into this particular park--and they really need to, because animal maintenance is NOT cheap--something like Wakanda actually makes more sense than Pandora.
JOE Rhode please come back to the Animal Kingdom, and DISNEY Imagineers come up with an better
concept for Dino Land USA.Replacing Dinosaur E attraction, with Indiana Jones is an bad ideal
With the current state of Disney rides. I have to wonder if that’s why Joe retired.
Can they even use black panther? With him being featured in avengers comics, the universal deal means they have the rights to black panther. At least thats what id assume
Hopefully the future of animal Kingdom doesn't look bleak, I hope Bob chapek doesn't ruin this park with IP's that don't even fit into the world and ruin the theming of Animal Kingdom
Love the video, but that earring with the elongated earlobe looks so disgusting
I remember seeing this Rhody guy as a kid on tv and he scared the crap out of me. He looked mean and creepy. They should really keep him away from kids. Oh he retired? That’s great. He can’t scare anymore kids.
I want Dinoland to remain the same with a different Indiana Jones attraction called Indiana Jones and the Golden Dinosaur Eggs where the descendant of the famed archeologist and adventurer is a paleontologist who takes up the Indy mantle to find some dinosaur fossils!
Nah Ta Zu
17:43 :(
Maybe you should think of this at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay you're not going to pay over price for a ticket inside the park but you're going to enjoy your time because things aren't so expensive as Walt Disney World
Avatar belongs in to morrowland not animal kingdom